Staged Ecovillage Home Design

We designed this Ecovillage Home to be constructed in Stages. This allowed progressive owners of the home to tailor the house to suit their family needs.

Stage 1: Original Build

Our original clients briefed us that the house to be constructed promptly, and for below $300k. We achieved the client’s budget through a close collaboration and trust developed through the design phase. We then worked closely with the builder through the construction phase. From commencement of design, the construction contract ready in under 3 months.

This stage 1 design included –

a 3 bedroom home, with 3 car accomodation

2 pavilions designed to allowed an extended family to live comfortably with one pavilion for adult children, or aging parents

alternatively the smaller pavilion was intended to be able to function as a home office, or shared with friends, or potential to be rented separately.

We believe this flexible form of design of home allows greater sustainability through more creative use of land in existing residential areas, where community and services are already provided. This improves our standard of life through engaging in home with extended family, and friends – but in a way which maintains amenity for all. It allows for aging in place with smaller spaces suiting an aging parent or couple while allowing close contact with or supervision by adult family or friends.

The home includes significant recycled materials which reduces the carbon footprint of the home. It includes a significant portion of recycled doors and windows, including some out of a 100 year old home, as well as the original sliding doors from the Miami IceWorks.

The finishes were kept to a base standard deliberately to allow them to be easily and efficiently upgraded over time. This included a plywood floor, thermal mass floor in sections, and basic lighting standard, and a controlled mix of recycled kitchen and bathroom joinery and fixtures.

The original build was by Paul Wolfe Constructions

Stage 2: Renovation / Extension

The stage 2 works for the current owners included adding an additional bedroom, and upgrading the finishes through key areas of the home.

This included extensions –

a new living room extension

main deck, and

a new bedroom suite.

It also included upgrading finishes –

hardwood t+g floor over the original plywood floor,

new light fittings,

upgrading the previous recycled kitchen cabinetry (which was re-used in the granny flat), and